Piper PA-18-180 accident near Savage, Montana, April 22, 1982
On April 22, 1982 at about 10:30 pm local time, a Piper PA-18-180, registered N55WP, was substantially damaged in an accident near Savage, Montana. It was a personal flight under general aviation rules (Part 91). No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved. The weather was visual conditions (good weather).
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- April 22, 1982 · about 10:30 pm local time
- Place
- Savage, Montana · map
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- No one was hurt; 1 person was on board or involved.
- Weather
- visual conditions (good weather)
- Aircraft
- Piper PA-18-180 · all PA-18-180s on the register
- Registration
- N55WP · registry record · serial 188271
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal flight · general aviation rules (Part 91)
The NTSB's narrative final · quoted from the NTSB record
THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER TAKEOFF, HE REMAINED AT ABOUT 100 FT AGL AND PROCEEDED TOWARD SAVAGE, MT. HE SAID HE INTENDED TO FLY OVER HIS PARTNER'S FARM NEAR SAVAGE. NEARLY 20 MINUTES AFTER TAKEOFF, A LOSS OF ENGINE RPM WAS NOTED AS THE PILOT APPROACHED HIS PARTNER'S FARM. HE APPLIED CARBURETOR HEAT AND MADE A FULL-FLAP LANDING TO THE SOUTH ON AN ELEVATED ROADWAY BESIDE AN IRRIGATION DITCH. DURING TOUCHDOWN, HE NOTICED THE ENGINE POWER WAS RETURNING; HOWEVER, HE CONTINUED THE LANDING. THE PILOT REPORTED THAT AFTER HE HAD SLOWED, A GUST OF WIND LIFTED THE RIGHT WING AND THE AIRCRAFT OVERTURNED. HE ESTIMATED THAT THE WIND WAS GUSTING TO 20 KNOTS. THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 78 DEGREES, BUT THE DEW POINT WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE PILOT SUSPECTED CARBURETOR ICE, BUT THIS WAS NOT VERIFIED.
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
Pilot
- Certificate: flight instructor, commercial pilot
- Ratings: multi-engine land; single-engine land; single-engine sea; instructor: airplane single-engine; instrument: airplane
- Flight time: 1,556 hours in all; 261 in this make and model; 25 in the last 90 days; 15 in the last 30 days; 1,361 as pilot in command; 300 on instruments
- Medical certificate: Class 2 (valid medical--w/ waivers/lim.)
- Seat: unk
The aircraft
- Airframe total time: 4,548 hours
- Last inspection: inspection type not recorded; 36 hours since
- Maximum gross weight: 1,750 lb
- Seats: 2
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine: Lycoming O-360-A4A (piston); 0 hours total
The flight
- Departed from: SDY Sidney MT at 3:10 pm
- Destination: SDY Sidney MT
- Flight plan: none
- Runway 0
Weather at the time
- Light: daylight
- Wind: from 220° at 15 knots
- Visibility: 25 statute miles
- Sky: not recorded; scat at 25,000 ft
- Temperature: 172°F (78°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
- Altimeter: 30.00 inHg
- Observation at 9:52 pm from ISN, 60 miles away
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
The docket, the folder of records gathered during an investigation (maintenance records, photographs, witness statements, examinations), has not been read from the NTSB for this case yet; the list appears here once it has. Open the docket at the NTSB.
Other NTSB records under N55WP the same tail number, which may have belonged to a different aircraft at the time
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.